FIG. 5 illustrates how our eyes 16 distinguish the distances between two objects 10, 11 from the eyes 16. An angle 17 between our two eyes 16 and the object 10/11 is called xe2x80x9coptical anglexe2x80x9d which decides the distance that the viewer feels. A smaller optical angle means a distance between the object and the eyes 16 is longer than a distance between the object and the eyes with a larger optical angle. Referring to FIG. 6, an angle between the eye 16 and an outer periphery of an object 12/13 is called xe2x80x9cvisual anglexe2x80x9d 15/14. A larger visual angle means a larger object. FIG. 7 shows a conventional means 20 for generating a 3-D image. The means 20 has two lenses 21, 22 which are flashed and darkened alternatively when viewing an object. In other words, only one image message is sent to the user""s brain at a time and the image messages viewed from the two lenses 21, 22 are sent to the user""s brain alternatively because the operation of the two lenses 21, 22. The user""s brain will combine the image messages alternatively sent according to the images viewed from the two lenses 21, 22 into a 3-D image. The means has a complicated structure and is expensive so that it is not affordable for most of the users. Furthermore, the means 20 can only provide the function for one person who wears the means 20.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,365 discloses a collapsible viewer that is composed of three individual basic items which are front wall with two pictures, a middle wall with two openings, and a rear wall with two plano-convex lenses which are engaged with the rear wall. The top edges of the front wall and the rear wall are connected with each other by adhesive, and the bottom edges of the front wall, the middle wall and the rear wall are connected with each other by adhesive. It is to be noted that the height of the middle wall is shorter than the height of each of the front wall and the rear wall so that the viewer has to bow the front wall and the rear wall till a resistance is felt when the top edge of the middle wall contacts the connection of the respective top edges of the front wall and the rear wall. The locations of the openings in the middle wall have to precisely match with the positions of the two plano-convex lenses on the rear wall or the viewers cannot successfully see the image via the two lenses. Obviously, it needs a certain degree of skill to bow the front wall and the rear wall to put the openings and the lenses and the pictures in alignment with each other. Once the front wall or the rear wall is folded too much and loose its continuous smooth curvature, the lenses cannot be located in proper positions. Not only children but adults may easily fold the flexible, cardboard or plastic made front wall and the rear wall to destroy the continuous smooth curvature, this makes the collapsible viewer to loose its function quickly. Besides, the three items are individual ones so that the assemblers have to assemble them properly and the two plano-convex lenses have to be securely engaged with the rear wall by proper ways so that they can be located in alignment with the openings in the middle wall. Before the users may successfully obtain the expected images, certain processes and adjustments are taken as mentioned above to bow the front wall and the rear wall, and these processes and adjustments obviously are not an easy task for the users who are not able to properly control their bending force to bow the front wall and the rear wall as desired. Frustration is then arisen for those users.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,170 discloses a container label having a coded image which can be decoded by viewing from two windows attached with color filters. The two windows with color filters are a part of the label and the label could be easily contaminated or torn. The color filters may also be peeled off from the label and once the color filters are removed, no function can be expected. Besides, the container is a normal bottle which has a smooth outer periphery and cannot provide any feature that is related to conduction of three dimensional images.
Accordingly, the two references of the prior art have inherent shortcomings because of their specific structure and the way that they are operated.
The present invention intends to provide a simple device to generate a 3-D image by viewing two stereoscopically related pictures from two protrusion portions on an outer periphery of a bottle. The device has strong structure so that the users can use it for a long period of time without worrying about weakness of the structure as the disclosures mentioned above.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for generating a 3-D image by viewing two stereoscopically related 2-D pictures. The device comprises a body filled with liquid and two protrusion portions are formed to the body. A convex profile is defined on an outside of the protrusion portion and a concave profile is defined in an inside of the body corresponding to the protrusion portion. Two stereoscopically related two-dimensional pictures are put on an opposite side to the protrusion portions of the body. A 3-D image is obtained when viewing from the protrusion portions.
The object of the present invention is to provide simple device that can generate a 3-D image from two stereoscopically related 2-D pictures by viewing from two protrusion portions on the body of the device.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, two embodiment in accordance with the present invention.